There were also fears the change would lead to a massive burden on GPs as patients came to request codeine. Pharmacy organisations opposed the change, whereas GPs were in favour. The announcement divided community and healthcare professional groups. The TGA announced the change in December 2016 following a lengthy consultation, and the change took effect on 1 February 2018. This left the TGA with little choice but to bring Australia in line with most other countries that restrict codeine to prescription-only. The 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported codeine available from behind the counter at a pharmacy was the most misused legal opioid in Australia and misuse was particularly common in adolescents. Other studies also showed that deaths from codeine continued to increase. Unfortunately, our previous study showed this move to stocking codeine behind the counter had little impact.
Before that, the lower strength products could be picked up off the pharmacy shelf without consulting a pharmacist. There was also an earlier attempt at reducing harm when, in 2010, all codeine painkillers were moved behind the counter at pharmacies. Codeine has been on the government’s radar for over a decade the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) set up a codeine working party in 2008 in response to increasing misuse.Ĭodeine is an opioid analgesic, meaning people can become dependent on it, and there is a risk of harm from overdose. The 2018 change was not an overnight decision. Higher strength codeine has always required a prescription. Before then, you could buy low-strength codeine (up to 15 mg per tablet) in combination with paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin over the counter at pharmacies. However, from February 2018, you could only buy codeine in Australia with a prescription. It has historically been our most used opioid, and 2013 data showed we took more codeine as a country than the US, despite having roughly 7% the population. There was also no increase in overdoses with stronger opioids or high-strength codeine, as some had feared.Īustralia has a love affair with codeine. Our research, in the journal Addiction, found the 2018 switch resulted in a 50% drop in codeine overdoses and sales. The 2018 switch resulted in a 50% drop in codeine overdoses and sales in Australia, researchers found.įears switching the painkiller codeine to a prescription-only medicine would lead to more people misusing stronger painkillers are unfounded, according to new research. Researchers have examined how the 2018 up-scheduling has affected Australia’s use of the traditionally popular painkiller.
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